The Grant Files: Stranded on Isla Sorna

Chapter 2

A small airplane - a Beechcraft King Air 200 Turboprop, to be exact.

It cruised through clear blue skies. Inside the plane, Grant re-settled, trying to get comfortable. Billy was across from him, finishing cleaning his camera lenses before putting them back in their rugged case. Jami and Jasmine were squished behind the young man since there weren't enough seats for all of them but that didn't bother the two. The former was furious with her father and his associate while the latter was bored out of her mind and messaging her companion. The younger of the two was halfway on the older one's lap, leaning toward the window with arms crossed over her chest and tears pooling in her eyes.

"Even with what I pay you, couldn't you afford a better bag?" Grant asked, piercing the eerie silence.

"No way. This one's lucky," Billy shook his head, "couple years ago some buddies and I went hang gliding off these cliffs in New Zealand. An updraft sent me right into the side. WHAM!" The young man was grinning.

"Wow, that does sound lucky," it was a little hard to tell if Grant was being sarcastic here, only the girls behind the young man could tell but stayed quiet.

"It was this strap alone that saved my life," a short pause in which caught Jami's attention, "got caught on a rock as I was falling."

The young woman suddenly seemed enthralled with his words, "really? Just that one strap?"

Billy turned to her, grinning, "yep, just this strap."

"Reverse-Darwinism. Survival of the most idiotic," Grant rolled his eyes.

"Yep," Jasmine agreed with him, never removing her eyes from the device in her hands.

"Listen Alan, I really appreciate you bringing me along," Billy's grin turned to a grateful smile.

"Well, the bones will still be there when we get back," Grant decided to reveal a grin, "that's the nice thing about bones, they never run away," a short pause.

"Nope," Jasmine agreed once more, not entirely paying attention.

"Besides, you got me into this, Billy," a beat, "and I don't intend on being alone with these people or leaving my daughter and niece with them either," Grant had leaned toward Billy, and he did the same but was grinning in return.

Paul and Amanda were sitting near the front of the plane. Paul drew a long, nervous breath and looked at Amanda, she seemed just as tense.

Finally finding a comfortable position, Grant put his hat over his eyes, ready to take a nap, "your turn to be nice, wake me when we get there."

Done with his camera, Billy nodded at Grant, then turned to the figure sitting across from the girls. "So how do you know the Kirbys?" The site manager asked.

At this Jasmine looked up from her device and Jami looked over curiously. Mercenary Cooper, the weapons specialist, was wearing sunglasses so dark you couldn't tell whether he was staring at you or fast asleep and he hadn't answered.

"Did he even hear you?" Jami asked curiously.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Jasmine turned back to her device but then --

"Through our church," the man replied.

"What religion?" Billy asked another question.

"Yeah, I'd love to know that too," Jasmine said curiously.

"Uh- the one that worships God and believes in being good," Cooper replied.

The words seemed to pacify the site manager and the young paleontologist, only the honorary Yautja knew something was up, but the plane continued onward.